My Star
by Draven Star
Summary: LM. Mara Jade serves Darth Vader, not the Emperor. She doesn't want him to find out that she's married to Luke.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars or any original characters and dialogue from the movies and books. 

Author's note: I use o'clock times, because it's easier for me. Also, I thought that Imperial City was the name for all of Courscant, not just one area there. I now know the whole planet is Imperial Center. Since I've put "Imperial City" in so many of my stories, I'm not going to go back and edit them all, but just know that I realize the mistake.

My Star

**Chapter One**

Luke arrived at the Rebel base, on Dantooine, more than two hours after the meeting ended. It had been raining while he was talking to Obi-wan on Dagobah, and it did not stop until twenty minutes after Obi-wan disappeared. Luke's X-wing actually flew well in the rain, but carefully landing on Dagobah and leaving was difficult enough when it was not raining.

He found Leia - who he now knew was his twin sister - in a large room where everyone went to play cards, eat, or talk. She and Han were standing alone in one corner, but as soon as she saw Luke, she quickly went over him. He noticed an annoyed look on Han's face.

"You're back," said Leia.

"I'm sorry that I missed the meeting, but I have to tell you something," Luke said quietly as she hugged him. "Now."

"That's fine," she replied. "At the meeting, Admiral Ackbar announced that we are not attacking the Empire yet. We're waiting a month."

"A month?"

"Yes. The maintenance crew wants to do some repairs on some of the X-wings, and do some improvements on them."

"That shouldn't take a whole month," Luke said.

"I know, but that's what Ackbar and Mon Mothma decided," Leia replied. "What do you have to tell me?"

* * *

Darth Vader watched Mara Jade as she left one of his private chambers on the _Executor_. Today, he had noticed the silver ring, with a heart-shaped diamond, on one of the fingers of her left hand. She must have forgotten to take it off today.

One time, as he was entering this room, he saw her take the ring off and slip it inside one of her pants' pockets. He guessed that it was a wedding ring, or else she would not care if he saw it or not.

Six weeks ago, he had sensed that she was pregnant with a very Force-strong baby - a girl. He had said nothing to her. He wanted to see how she would try to hide this from him. To keep the Emperor from finding out, he met with her on the _Executor_ most of the time.

There was something about her baby that bothered him, but he did not know what it was.

"Vader?" Amidala asked softly, interrupting his thoughts. She was peeking out from the open doorway that led to another room. When she saw that Mara was gone now, she came out.

"Are you going to hurt her?" she asked as she stood close to him. She pulled the hood of her thin, brown robe off of her head. Underneath, she wore a short, long-sleeved dark green dress.

"I want to know who her husband is," he said, which did not answer the question.

"Please, Vader. I know that I don't really know her at all, but she seems like a nice girl." Amidala took his hand and kissed it. "Happy twenty-fourth anniversary."

The anniversary of Anakin and Padmé's wedding, twenty-seven years ago, had actually been last week. But after Padmé changed her mind and accepted Vader's offer to join him, they got married again. That was the anniversary that they recognized.

Amidala was not Force-sensitive, but Vader had trained her in everything else that he could, and taught her more about flying ships. On the first anniversary of their second wedding, he gave her two orange lightsabers.

She kissed his hand again, then said, "Are we going home soon?"

"Yes."

* * *

Leia and Luke were standing outside, in front of the base's main entrance. Leia stared at her friend for a moment before realizing that she believed him.

"I know," she said. "Somehow, I've always known."

"I feel that way, too," he replied.

He had not been completely honest with her - he had revealed that they were twins, but had not said who their father was. He did not want to tell her yet. She might think that it was a sick joke, or she might tell someone, and they would tell other Rebels. Then all of them would panic. They would probably want Luke and Leia to leave. Maybe they would try to kill the twins, for their own safety.

"How did you find out?" Leia asked.

Luke had already thought of a lie for that. "You told me your mother's name once."

"Yes."

"I went back to Obi-wan's home on Tattooine, and I found a diary there. He mentioned our parents and both of us in it."

"My adopted parents never told me that my real father was a Jedi," said Leia, "or that Vader killed him and my mother."

"My aunt and uncle didn't tell me, either," Luke replied. "I don't think we should tell everyone that we're related. Just tell Han and Chewbacca and Lando, alright?"

"Alright. Now Han can stop thinking that I like you."

"Yes," Luke said.

The group of friends already shared one secret - only Han, Leia, and Chewbacca knew that Luke and Mara were married. Luke had not told them that Mara was pregnant yet, but he would soon.

"I'm going to go inside and tell Han, before he wonders what we're doing," Leia said. "Call me when you're home."

* * *

It was almost dark outside when Luke reached the house on Yavin Five. He always took a transport ship here, or Han brought him in the _Millenium Falcon_, so that no one would notice his X-wing. Then he went the public garage, which he owned a space in, and got his speeder.

Mara's uncle gave them the house as a wedding present. It had two stories, miles of forest behind it, and there were only two neighboring houses, one on each side of Mara and Luke's. There was no Imperial base here on Yavin Five, just on Four and Eight.

Mara was already in bed, and almost asleep, when Luke entered their bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Hello," she said, sitting up.

"What did you do today?" Luke asked, resting his hand on her leg.

"I went to a few stores and looked at maternity clothes," said Mara.

That was true - she went gone shopping after her meeting with Vader, so that when she told Luke, he would not sense any dishonesty. She had not told him that she served Vader, and she did not think that he had found out, or else he probably would have killed her.

"Did you find anything you liked?" he asked. He had sensed that she was pregnant six weeks ago, but he waited until she told him on her own, two weeks ago. He did not mention that he could sense the baby's gender. She had already told her doctor that she wanted to be surprised.

"Yes, but I didn't buy it yet," she answered. "I'm hungry. I think I'll heat the rest of those taun-taun strips. Do you want any?"

"Sure, but I have to tell you something first," Luke said.

"What is it?" Mara asked.

Even though she knew about Obi-wan and Yoda and her husband's Jedi training, Luke told her the same lie he had told his sister, in case the two of them talked about it. He did not like lying to either of them, but he did not want to tell them that he had been talking to a ghost, either.

"Wow," Mara said softly after hearing everything. "Forgive me, but I think your aunt and uncle should have told you that Vader killed your parents."

"I always thought there was something more than what they were telling me," her husband said, wondering when he should tell her that Vader was her father-in-law.

She looked at him, feeling guilty. She was hiding something from him, too. She had no right to criticize his aunt and uncle.

"Let's go eat," she said, getting out of the bed.

* * *

I hope some of you liked this first chapter. I know it's confusing to keep track of who doesn't know what. The next chapter will tell how Luke and Mara met. 


	2. Chapter 2

Madame Naberrie: No, I don't think Luke would kill Mara. That's just her being worried and nervous. 

**Chapter Two**

"No one was there when I arrived, Master," Mara said, talking about Yoda's house. "Someone placed a large log outside, against the door. It seems that Yoda either abandoned it or was not home."

She was on the _Executor_. She had left for Dagobah that morning, just after Luke left for the Rebel base on Dantooine. He would not be back until tonight, probably not until after midnight. Mara wanted to be home before then, so that he would not know she had been gone during the day. Hopefully, her master would not give her another assignment right now. It was almost eight o' clock in the evening on Yavin Five.

"For how long?" Vader asked her.

"Not for very long. Everything inside is clean," she answered. She knew that Luke had probably placed the log against the door yesterday, after Yoda died. She had tried her best to put it back just like it was, in case her husband was planning to return.

"I will go back again if you wish, Master," she added, looking at him with awe for a second. If Yoda and Obi-wan had both chosen to hide for years before daring to face the Sith Lord - Yoda had never faced him, as far as Mara knew - then maybe Vader really was more powerful than the Jedi Masters.

Luke went to Bespin to rescue his friends from Vader after only a couple of days of training, Mara thought, feeling proud.

But, she tried not to think about what would happen if - when her husband and her master dueled again.

"It is not necessary," Vader told her, interrupting her thoughts.

"Yes, Master," she replied.

She loved her husband, but she also felt fortunate to be Vader's favorite, most trusted agent. He had not given her any kind of training since he discovered her, four years ago, but perhaps he planned to. He had told her that she was Force-strong.

Her parents' speeder bike factory made a few parts for the Imperial shuttles and TIE Fighters, and her uncle was an officer on one of the Star Destroyers, which was probably how Vader had somehow learned about her. Her parents only knew the Imperial maintenance crews that they dealt with. They fearfully avoided all of the Imperials as much as possible, and had not exactly chosen to supply parts to them.

"I will contact you next week," Vader said. Until he had the chance to search for her husband, he wanted her to rest, since she was pregnant.

"Yes, my Master," she said. She briefly bowed her head, then left the room.

-----

As her ship left the _Executor_, she felt very happy - she had a whole week to spend at home with Luke, unless something came up and her master needed her before then.

She met Luke a year ago, when she was nineteen and he was twenty-three. Just a few days after his fight with Darth Vader on Cloud City, he went to a small doctor's office on Yavin One to have a couple of tests done on his new prosthetic hand. He saw Mara as he was leaving the place.

She was standing beside her parked speeder and looked as if she was having trouble. The speeder had completely died. She had missed the transport to Imperial Center that she had bought a ticket for. She had zero credits left, so she could not get her speeder repaired or get a hotel room.

Of course, Luke did not know that she was Vader's loyal agent. The Rebellion and most of the Empire did not know her.

He told her that she might as well abandon the speeder - the company that made it had discontinued her model a few years ago, and she would have to go to several junk shops to track down the parts she needed. He was taking a transport to Naboo, and offered to get another ticket for her to go with him.

At first, Mara thought that getting involved with him was pointless. Her master would kill him, or he would be killed in a battle. She would be heartbroken either way. But after they spent a few days on Naboo together, she did not care.

After only two weeks, he told her about his Jedi training, and he also asked her to marry him. The wedding was two weeks later.

Mara smiled, but it turned into a frown after a second. She was relieved that Vader had never asked her to spy on Luke - but, if he did, she did not know what she was going to do. She remembered him telling her that Vader had offered for him to join the Empire.

_Then I could be loyal to my master, and he would not have a problem with my husband_, she thought.

But Luke was not going to be evil, and Mara did not think she could be evil, either. And she had yet another problem - she didn't know what she would do when she farther along in her pregnancy and began to show. She could not avoid Vader.

Her eyes were wet. She wiped them and tried to forget about her problems for now, and prepared the ship for hyperspace.

-----

She was relieved when she got home before Luke. She went to bed and fell asleep almost instantly. Three hours later, she woke up when Luke entered their bedroom.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he took his shirt off. He got into the bed.

"Good," Mara told him, meaning it. Despite her big problems, she always felt completely better when she saw him.

He pulled the edge of the dark blue blanket over her shoulder. She snuggled next to him.

"I love you," he said, wondering if his father knew that he was married.

"I love you, too," Mara replied. "Good night."

"Good night." Luke mentally turned the room's lights off.

A few minutes later, he felt Vader trying to make a mental connection with him. For a moment, he was tempted to answer. Luckily, he was distracted when an animal howled outside.

He kissed Mara's cheek, and soon fell asleep.

-----

Amidala and Darth Vader stood in the upstairs hallway of their house on Naboo. Amidala frowned when she heard that Luke had rejected Vader's attempt to connect with him, but she was patient. She hugged her husband, resting her head against his armored chest. In two months, the cloned body that was made eleven years ago would be ready.

Vader went to Kamino every three months to see how it was growing. Amidala did not know how exactly he was going to get into the new body. He had told her that it was a Sith technique. She wished that she were Force-strong.

She followed him into a room that had an egg-shaped chamber, like the one on the _Executor_. In one corner of the room was a door that led to his special-air chambers. Amidala thought she could breathe the air in the chambers well, since she had gotten used to it after a few times, but he never let her stay in there for more than an hour, to be safe.

"You know," she said as the mechanical hands removed his helmet, "the general public does not know that you have a wife. Maybe Leia and Luke do not know."

"The Rebels may have found out," Vader said.

"One of their spies could have," Amidala agreed as she sat in his lap. She reached up to kiss him.

After their lips parted, he said, "I love you. You know that I am very pleased with you."

"Thank you," she said quietly. He was aware that she had sometimes felt upset about not being able to become a Sith, but he always reassured her.

"Good night," she added. She kissed him again, then went next door to her bedroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"I'm glad that you won't be suspicious anymore," Leia said, irritated, as she and Han walked onto the front porch of Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker's house.

"Why are you so mad?" he asked.

Leia pressed the button beside the door. "Honestly, did you think that I would cheat on you, or go after a married man?"

"No. I just thought you might still have some feelings," Han told her.

"I never really liked Luke that way," she said quietly. "I was too miserable, because you were in carbonite. Ask him or Lando."

Before Han could reply, Mara answered the door.

"Hello," she said. "Luke said that he told you."

"Yes. I'm going to be an aunt." Leia smiled and hugged her. "We took a transport here. Lando and Chewbacca are at the base."

"Oh," Mara said quietly, hoping again that Darth Vader was not going to tell her to look for that base, or spy on Luke. She knew that she needed to think of something to do, but first, she would have to decide if she preferred her husband joining the Empire, or if she would become a traitor and join the Rebellion.

She was disgusted with herself. She should automatically choose Luke, the person who loved her and would protect and care about her. But she continued being attached to her master, and she was intrigued by the idea of possibly becoming a Sith apprentice one day. Vader had never said anything about training her, but he had told her that she was Force-strong, so maybe he was considering it.

At first, she thought that she couldn't become an evil Sith, but Luke had told her that some truths depended on your point of view. In a way, she could see how the Empire brought order to the galaxy, and everything would be more peaceful if the Rebellion wasn't causing trouble...

_That was a terrible thing to think. My husband is one of the Rebellion's leaders_, she thought.

"What's wrong?" Han asked.

"Nothing," she said quietly. She moved out of the doorway so that he and Leia could come inside.

* * *

Vader and Amidala were at home, inside one of the special-air chambers. This small room was empty. There was a door at the end that opened to a short hallway, which had doors to the other three rooms. Amidala glanced at the chrono on the wall and saw that she had been in here for twenty minutes; she had forty minutes left. Later, she wanted to convince Vader to let her try staying in here for an hour-and-a-half.

"I thought of something," she told him. She was sitting in front of him on the floor, rubbing a healing lotion near one of his ankles. She still wanted him to have as much treatment as possible, in case he somehow failed to transfer himself to his new cloned body. But she did not tell him that, since she did not believe he would fail.

"What is it?" he asked.

"If I tried to know Mara," Amidala answered, "perhaps I could learn more about who her husband is."

"You are my wife. She will not tell you anything that she is trying to hide from me."

"I know." Amidala screwed the lid back on the tube of healing lotion. "But could I try?"

"If you wish."

* * *

Mara was quiet during dinner. She hated hearing Leia, Han, and Luke talk about the Rebellion and the base on Dantooine, knowing that she had a lot of information that her master would want. But if she told him anything, she would be betraying her husband and her friends.

_Lord Vader has not asked me about the Rebel base, or Luke and Han and Leia_, she thought. _I don't _have_ to tell him on my own_.

"Have you two thought of any names?" Leia asked.

"Star if it's a girl," answered Luke. Of course, he already sensed that it was a girl. Star was Mara's middle name.

"And Anakin if it's a boy," Mara added, barely paying attention. She was trying to think of a few ways to hide her pregnancy later, when she started showing. She did not think that anything would work. Vader would notice if she suddenly started wearing huge, extravagant dresses all the time.

She sighed, feeling depressed. Usually, Luke was the person that she went to whenever she had a problem.

"I was wondering something - did Vader and your father know each other?" Han asked.

"Maybe," was all Luke said.

* * *

An hour later, he and Mara were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching a movie. Mara was snuggled underneath his arm, and he sensed that she felt much better than she had earlier. She had been sad during dinner.

He wanted to find out what was going on with her. She had been careful about hiding things and not saying anything dishonest to him, but he could still sense that something was not right. Whatever it was, he had no idea why Mara thought that she couldn't tell him.

But he was being unfair - he had not told her that she was pregnant with Darth Vader's granddaughter, and she had no training in the Force, so she couldn't sense when he was being dishonest.

"Luke?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"Did Darth Vader and your father know each other?"

"Not everyone knows this, but Darth Vader used to be a Jedi. Don't tell anyone that, though."

"I won't," Mara replied. "Maybe they were friends. Obi-wan said that Vader betrayed Anakin, didn't he?"

"Yes." Luke was quiet for a second, then asked, "Are you having an affair?"

"What?" Mara sat up and looked at him. "No! What makes you think that?"

"I feel as if you're hiding something from me," he said calmly. "Are you?"

"I'm not having an affair. I never have."

Luke sensed that she was being honest about that, but he was still annoyed. "Give me a direct answer, Mara. Are you hiding _anything_ from me?"

She looked down at the floor for a moment, then started to cry. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him again. She curled up beside him and rested her head in his lap, continuing to cry. She almost told him everything, but she couldn't. He would divorce her and probably kidnap the baby once it was born, and she wouldn't blame him.

"I love you," he said, stroking her hair. "I won't make you tell me."

"Thanks," she said, sitting up again. She wiped her face.

"But I will find out," he added, putting his arm around her shoulders.

"Okay." She sniffled. "I love you, too. Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Alright."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Mara and Luke were both quiet as they walked to the trees behind their backyard. After living here for eleven months, they were very familiar with the first mile or two of the forest, even at night. There were a couple of large clearings, where they liked to make a campfire.

Luke took Mara's hand and squeezed it, feeling bad for scaring her - even though he was still going to find out what was going on, since she refused to tell him.

"What is it?" he asked her. "If someone is threatening you, then tell me so that I can deal with them."

"You said that you weren't going to make me tell you," Mara told him, shining her flashlight ahead of them. She walked around a fallen branch that she had almost stepped on.

"Alright," Luke replied, remembering that he was lying to her about a couple of things. He wondered who he should reveal everything to first, her or Leia. Probably Mara - she would be stunned when she heard that Darth Vader was her father-in-law, but since she was not really involved with the Rebellion, she wouldn't panic and tell someone.

"I'm sorry," she said, interrupting his thoughts. She paused. "What happened to me was not really my choice."

That was true. She had not chosen to be Vader's servant at first, although she was loyal to him now.

Luke was silent. He was probably a little angry at her, and he had a right to be. She stopped walking and tried hugging him. He took her into his arms and held her for what seemed like an hour. But it was only after a few minutes that a few drops of rain started falling, which sooned turned into a drizzle.

They let go of each other, and held hands again as they walked back to the house.

----------

The next morning, Luke woke up before Mara. As he took a shower, he thought of buying a crib and surprising her. The bedroom beside theirs was going to be the baby's room, but it was empty right now. He wanted to do something to cheer her up, even though she was still refusing to tell him what her secret was.

---------

It wasn't eight o' clock yet, and most of the stores were not open. Luke parked his speeder outside of a diner and waited. He tried calling Mara's comlink, but she didn't answer - she was probably still asleep. He tried both Leia and Han's, but neither of them answered, either. Briefly, he wondered if Han wanted to marry Leia. He had not said anything about asking her, but Luke hoped that he would.

A human woman with long brown hair, wearing a long-sleeved dark blue dress that stopped just above her knees, and black boots, came out of the diner. She caught Luke's attention when he noticed that she was crying. He hesitated, then got out of his speeder.

"Hey," he said. "Are you okay?"

She stopped and looked at him, and he felt intense fear fill her. That was strange.

"Yes," she said quietly, wiping her face. She was beautiful, and looked as if she were around Luke's age. She was holding a comlink in one hand.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Amidala was quiet for a second, unable to tell if he really did not recognize her, or was just pretending. If he did know who she was, then he was wasting a good opportunity to capture her. Vader was not anywhere around, and there were not a lot of people out, either.

"No," she said.

"What happened?"

"My husband and I were on Yavin Six, early this morning, and we were taking a transport to Naboo. I left him for one moment to go to a drink stand, and I didn't see him when I came back, so I thought he had already gotten on the transport. So I got on it and looked for him, but it turned out that I got on the wrong one, and now I'm here."

Luke sensed that she was being honest. "Can I do anything to help you? I can take you to the transport station here."

"No, thanks," she answered. "I called him. He's on his way here."

"Would you like me to wait with you until he's here?"

"You don't have to," Amidala said. Luke had not seen Vader without his armor before, but he would know that it was him.

"I don't mind," her son told her. "I was going to get a crib to surprise my wife with - she's pregnant - but the store isn't open yet."

Amidala stared at him, thinking of Mara.

_Mara is not the only pregnant woman in the galaxy_, she thought, _and she is not the only one who is having a Force-sensitive baby_.

But the point was that Luke was married and his wife was pregnant. Now that she looked, Amidala saw a silver band on one of his left hand's fingers. She and Vader were going to be grandparents. She hoped that the Emperor did not know about this already.

"Okay," she finally answered. "I'm kind of hungry, and the diner is crowded."

"There's another one nearby."

----------

Amidala was tired, after going to Kamino yesterday evening so that Vader could transfer himself into his new body - he had decided to take it now, instead of waiting two months for it to turn twenty-two years old. Then they went back to Naboo, so Vader could leave his armor at the house. Then they took a transport to Yavin Six to look at ships - they wanted to give Luke one was a gift when he joined them. During the ride, Amidala curled up beside Vader and rested her head on his lap, and didn't get more than three hours of sleep altogether. She didn't like taking transports, even the expensive ones where they had their own small room.

Then, when they were about to goback toNaboo again, she had gotten separated from Vader and went on the wrong transport. Vader was still on Yavin Six when she called him. She hoped he would be here soon. If Luke really did know who she was, she wasn't sure what he might do. She didn't think that he would kill her while she was defenseless - Vader had her lightsaber at the moment - but he could capture her and take her to a Rebel base.

"What's your name?" he asked her as they got into his speeder.

She hesitated. He might have been told that Padmé was his mother's name - well, his mother wasn't the only woman named Padmé, but Vader would not want her using her name from their old life. The Rebels might have heard that Vader had a wife named Amidala. She would have to lie.

"Ana," she said, "with one 'n'."

Luke sensed that she was lying, of course, but he supposed that if he were in her situation, he might not give a stranger his real name, either.

"That's my sister's middle name," he said. "I'm Luke."

Amidala looked at him. Leia's middle name was Ana, from Anakin. Luke had learned that they were twins. Yoda must have told him.

"Does your sister live here?" she asked.

"No," he answered, then changed the subject. "Were you and your husband visiting Naboo?"

"We live there," she replied. "Where is the zoo? I'm meeting my husband there, by the varactyl exhibit."

She actually didn't know if the zoo had varactyls or not, but as long as she was there, she and Vader would run into each other. She suddenly realized that this was an excellent opportunity to bring Luke to him.

"It's only a few minutes away," said Luke. "I can take you there after we eat, if you want."

"Thank you so much."

----------

The diner they went to wasn't busy; there were only four other people. Amidala and Luke sat down at a table in the back corner. A human waitress came up to them instantly. Amidala just ordered hot tea, despite being hungry. Luke didn't get anything.

Once the waitress brought the tea and left, Luke asked, "Were you and your husband on Yavin Six for vacation?"

"We were looking at ships," Amidala answered, feeling relieved that he didn't seem to be romantically interested in her. But she shouldn't have worried about that. Luke was not the kind of man that would cheat on his wife.

"What kinds?"

"Just personal cruisers." Amidala paused, wanting to see if she could get him to reveal more information about his wife. "When is your baby due?"

"Seven-and-a-half months," he answered.

_So she is six weeks pregnant_. Amidala took a long sip of her tea, not caring that it burned her tongue. Mara Jade was probably not the only pregnant woman in the galaxy who was having a Force-sensitive baby and was six weeks along right now, but it was another coincedence.

Luke suddenly felt Darth Vader's presence. He had just come here to Yavin Five, and he was very close. It could be coincedence, or he could have learned that his son lived here. Luke wanted to get home as soon as possible, so that he and Mara could go to another planet for a few days - maybe to one of Yavin Eight's tropical areas. He'd just tell her that it was a surprise vacation. But he couldn't leave Ana here alone. Hopefully her husband would be here soon.

"Congratulations," she said. "Is this your first child?"

"Yes," Luke replied.

A moment later, Amidala's comlink beeped. She picked it up and turned it on.

"Hello," she said. "Great. I'll go there now...I met a nice man named Luke, and he offered to give me a ride...alright...I love you."

"Was that your husband?" Luke asked once she had turned off the comlink.

"Yes," she answered. "The transport he took just got here, and he's on his way to the zoo."

"Let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

When they reached the zoo, Luke changed his mind. He would have to leave Ana here, so that he could get back home as quickly as possible. He hated to abandon her without making sure that she found her husband, but he and Mara needed to leave Yavin Five. She could already be captured right now.

Thinking of that made him more angry than afraid. He stopped the speeder outside of the zoo entrance.

"I can pay for both of us to get in," said Amidala.

"No," Luke told her. "I have to go. My wife has a doctor's appointment. I always go with her."

"It shouldn't take that long to find my husband. He said that he's going to meet us at the varactyl exhibit. He'll want to thank you for helping me."

"I'm sorry. I can't stay."

"I understand."

"The varactyls are near the center of the zoo."

"Thank you," Amidala replied. She was a little disappointed, but at least she had a few things to report to Darth Vader.

She got out of the speeder. Luke rode away before she was even inside the zoo's entrance. She was not offended, since she knew why he was really in a hurry to leave - he had felt Vader's presence. He probably wanted to leave the planet, maybe the whole Yavin system. But they would find him, and maybe she could use her "Ana" disguise again.

It took her only a few minutes to find the varactyl exhibit. As she approached, she saw Vader, wearing dark brown pants and a sleeveless white shirt. She brushed against a teenage human girl and didn't stop to apologize. The girl said something to her in a language she didn't understand. She ignored her.

She latched onto Vader, feeling as if they had been apart for a week, and seriously considered not letting go of him for the rest of the day. He was probably never going to let her out of his sight again, and she did not mind at all.

With his arms still around her, she looked around to make sure that no one was standing close to them, then whispered, "How is your new body so far? Is everything alright?"

"Yes," he answered. "Where is Luke?"

Amidala softly told him everything as they walked back to the zoo's entrance.

* * *

As soon as Mara heard her husband's speeder, she went outside to the front yard. She was wearing black pants and a sleeveless dark green shirt, along with a silver necklace that Luke had gotten her for their three-month anniversary. The necklace originally had a heart with L & M engraved on it, but she had removed it and kept it in her jewelry box, so that Darth Vader would not notice. Luke believed she was hiding it so that anyone who suspected that he was married to her would not see, which was another reason.

"Where were you?" she asked him.

He slid his arms around her. "I have a surprise for you. We are going to Yavin Eight for a few days."

"Why?"

"Because we went to that island for our honeymoon, but the other Rebels suddenly needed me, and we had to leave after only one day, remember?"

"Oh. When are we going?"

"Right now."

"Now?" Mara asked. Vader had said that he would contact her next week, so she had a few days, but if something came up before then, she would not be able to tell Luke why she wanted to leave Yavin Eight suddenly.

He touched her cheek. "What's wrong? You don't want to go?"

She hugged him and said, "I'm going to go pack some clothes," then went inside the house.

He watched her, realizing that she had avoided giving him a direct answer, but he did not have time to question her about her secrets right now. He wanted to leave Yavin Five quickly. Perhaps when they were alone on the island, she might be more comfortable and willing to talk to him.

* * *

Luke felt safe taking Mara's ship, since Vader did not know - hopefully - who she was. Once the ship was in the air, she went back to the small fridge in the kitchen area and got a water bottle, then returned to the cockpit.

"So, where did you go this morning?" she asked as she sat down again.

"Just to the café," Luke lied, not wanting to tell her that he had planned to get a baby crib. "Then I met a woman who was upset, because she went on the wrong transport and got separated from her husband."

"Wow. Did she find him?"

"Yes. I waited with her until he called, and then I took her to the zoo to meet him."

"That was kind of you," Mara said, remembering that the two of them had met when her speeder wasn't working and he offered to get her a transport ticket to Naboo. He was a caring person, and she loved him more than anything. She could not believe she had almost wished that he would agree to serve Vader, just so that she could be with him and continue to serve her master. She was selfish.

Luke turned his chair a little so that he faced her. "So, are we certain about both baby names? Anakin or Star?"

She nodded. "I like both of those. What about the middle name?"

"Luke or Mara."

"Alright." Mara stood up, feeling hungry now. "I'm going to heat up some of the bantha steak in the fridge. Do you want any?"

"Sure."

* * *

Vader and Amidala had to take a transport to get back to Naboo, since they did not have their own ship with them. While waiting for the expensive transport to leave, they were sitting in the dining area, at a table in the back corner. Amidala was still hungry, so she had ordered grilled fish. The kitchen was making it, even though it was morning.

A few minutes ago, Vader had sensed that his son and his spy had both left Yavin Five, at the same time. He told Amidala.

"She has to be his wife," she said quietly. She smiled. "We're going to have a granddaughter."

"Yes," Vader replied. He wanted Luke to join them soon, before the Emperor learned that Mara was married, or that she was pregnant.

A Zabrak waiter came with the fish. Amidala waited until he was across the room before saying anything.

"Luke left because he sensed that you were here," she whispered. "Maybe we should come back in a few days."

"Did he actually say that he lives here?"

"No, but he seemed to know the area well, and he was going to buy a crib here."

"I will contact Mara when we are on Naboo," Vader said.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Once they were on Yavin Eight, Mara Jade Skywalker felt much better. When she and Luke arrived at the tropical island, they went to the same small hotel where they stayed for their honeymoon. Mara imagined going down to the beach and throwing her comlink into the ocean, so that she wouldn't even know if Darth Vader was trying to contact her. But of course, she could never really do that. She just hoped that he wouldn't need her until after she and Luke returned home.

The first thing she did was go out to the balcony.The hotel was on the beach, sothe view of the water was lovely. Mara was at peace, especially when Luke stood beside her and slid one arm around her waist. She looked up at him for a second and almost told him everything, but as usual, she got too nervous and changed her mind.

"I was wondering something," she said instead.

"What is it?" Luke asked. He let go of her and went over to theblack bench on the right side of the balcony.

"Didn't you tell me once that a Jedi only kills for self-defense?"

"Yes."

"What would you do with someone you captured?" Mara asked. "Like an Imperial spy?"

"A Jedi does not kill a defenseless, unarmed prisoner," Luke said, "unless there is a good reason."

"Like what?"

"If I felt that they were too much of a threat," Luke said, "then I might have to kill them, even if they were defenseless at the moment. If I didn't, they could cause more trouble later. It would be best for everyone's safety."

Mara tried not to be afraid - he would sense that she was worried. In fact, he had probably sensed it already.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Do you think that someone might be a spy?"

"I was just curious," she said. She thought that was an honest enough answer, so he shouldn't sense that she was lying. "Are you only going to train people who are two or younger, like the old Jedi Order did?"

"No." Luke paused, thinking about something, then changed the subject. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes," Mara answered. "Let's go to that place where we ate dinner on our honeymoon."

* * *

By the time they went to the bed that night, Mara's comlink had not beeped at all, so she finally started to relax. She snuggled under Luke's arm and rested her head on his chest, thinking that they should come here with Han and Leia sometime. She wondered if Han was planning to ask Leia to marry him. 

Luke stroked her hair. Once they returned home, he would get started on finding out what her secret was. She had said that what happened to her was not her choice - and when he mentioned someone threatening her, she had not ever said yes or no to that. Perhaps someone _was _scaring her.

Suddenly, Vader tried to mentally reach him. Luke was so bothered by the issue with Mara that he did not ignore his father this time. He closed his eyes and connected.

_What is it, Father?_ he asked.

_I see you have accepted the truth_, Vader said.

_Your voice is different_.

_I am not wearing my mask at the moment_.

_What do you want?_ Luke asked.

_To thank you. You returned Amidala - your mother - to me earlier_.

_You mean Ana?_

_Yes_, Vader answered. He closed their connection without saying anything else.

* * *

Luke lay awake for almost an hour - he could tell from looking at the chrono on the wall. He had told Amidala - his _mother_ - that he was married and that his wife was pregnant. Vader knew all of that now. Not only that, but Luke was just surprised to hear that his mother was alive. Obi-wan and Yoda had not told him, but they also had not told him how Anakin Skywalker died. 

He remembered his conversation with Ana - Amidala - at the diner.

_"What's your name?"_

_"Ana, with one 'n'."_

_"That's my sister's middle name."_

Amidala had used her daughter's middle name, and from Luke's answer, she had obviously figured that he knew Leia was his twin sister. He thought over the rest of their conversation, realizing that he had not ever revealed his wife's name. That was a relief, at least for now.

* * *

The next morning, Mara woke him up by kissing his cheek, then his forehead. He opened his eyes. She was sitting on the bed, wearing a sleeveless white shirt with a white skirt. 

"Good morning," she said. She kissed his cheek again. "I thought we could go for a walk on the beach."

Luke was still tired, since he had not slept well last night, but he did not want her to go by herself.

"Alright," he said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

There were already several people on the beach. As they approached the water, Mara asked Luke if he wanted to go back to the hotel room. She could see how tired he was, and thought he might be sick, but he said that he was fine. Even though she didn't believe him, she slipped her hand inside his and didn't say anything else about it for now.

"We should come here with Han and Leia," she told him as water from a wave touched their feet. She let go of him and walked over to something that she thought was a shark's tooth, but when she picked it up, it was a grey piece of a seashell. She dropped it onto the damp sand again.

Luke was not listening to her. He thought about his conversation with his mother again. When she told him how she had accidently gone on the wrong transport and gotten separated from her husband, she had been telling the truth - and she had said that they were planning to go to Naboo. Maybe they had _not_ come to Yavin Five to look for him.

"I'm bleeding!" Mara shrieked, looking down at her palm.

Luke looked at her. "What happened?"

"Nothing. I was just trying to get your attention."

"That wasn't funny."

"I'm sorry. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Mara thought he might talk about it if they were alone. She was suddenly starving, anyway. "Do you mind going back to the hotel? I want to get breakfast."

"Alright," Luke said. To make her stop worrying, he casually added, "Did you get any sleep last night? The music in the room next door was loud."

"I didn't hear anything," she replied. "I must have slept through it. So, what do you think about coming here with Han and Leia?"

"They would like it."

"Do you think they'll get married?"

"Yes," Luke answered. He suddenly realized something - if his mother had been alive this whole time, then Vader had always known about Leia. He wondered why Obi-wan had lied to him so much - perhaps to protect him and keep him from being distracted while he was a new apprentice. He could understand that, but he was also a little angry.

* * *

When they returned to the hotel room, they did not talk much until after the maid who brought their breakfast left. 

"Do you want to go home tomorrow?" Mara asked. She took a bite of her fruit salad. It was only thing she felt like eating.

Luke hesitated. He doubted that his parents would still be on Yavin Five. Unless they knew that he lived there, it was unlikely that they would wait for him to come back. But then again, his mother had probably noticed that he knew where everything was.

"Yes," he replied finally. If he sensed that that Vader was still there when he and Mara arrived, then they would go somewhere else.

"I want to get a crib soon," she said.

"Do you want to know something that I haven't told you before?" Luke asked. He drank some of his water.

"What?"

"Force-users can sense when a woman is pregnant."

"They can?" Mara asked, thinking of Darth Vader.

"Yes. I knew you were pregnant as soon as the baby was conceived - and I know the gender," said Luke.

His wife set her fork down. "Oh, no..."

"I'm sorry. I just wanted you to tell me on your own. And I won't tell you the gender, if you still want it to be a surprise."

"It's not that," Mara said. There were tears in her eyes now.

She got up and went to the refresher in the bedroom.

* * *

Vader had changed his mind about contacting Mara. He did not want to scare her until after he was certain that she was Luke's wife. 

He and Amidala were standing in their large backyard, which was mostly a meadow that led into forest. They weren't sure where their property ended, but since they had no neighbors, they did not care.

"What if she isn't Luke's wife?" Amidala asked.

"I still want to know who her husband is," Vader said.

"What if he's someone who doesn't even know that he's Force-sensitive?"

"Then I will leave them alone."

Amidala spotted a dark brown snake, several feet away. After a moment, it slithered underneath a piece of log.

"What are we going to do next?" she asked.

"We will find Luke."

* * *

Author's note: For those of you who read At Your Side, I finally updated it. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Mara Jade cried a little while she was inside the refresher, after what Luke had just told her about Force-users sensing pregnancy. That meant that Darth Vader had always known she was pregnant. He had not said anything. Perhaps he wanted to see if she would tell him on her own. He knew that she would have to eventually, and when she did, he would most likely want to know about her husband.

She thought for a moment. She did not _have_ to tell her master anything yet. He probably thought that she knew nothing about the Force, so she would pretend that she really didn't.

Now she had another problem - Luke would want to know why she had gotten upset and left the table. She might have to reveal everything to him now. She did notthink that he would kill her while she was pregnant with his child, but he would probably take her to a prisoner cell on one of the Rebel ships, then bring her divorce papers and, later, take the baby.

She sighed, knowing that she couldn't keep hiding here in the bedroom's refresher. After waiting a few more minutes, she went back to the dining area.

* * *

"Don't worry," Luke told her as she approached the table. "It will probably stop after a couple of weeks." 

"What?" Mara asked.

"Morning sickness," her husband said.

Mara looked at him for a moment, feeling tremendously relieved. He thought she had hurried to the refresher to be sick.

"I do hate it," she replied, sitting down again. That was a true statement, so he wouldn't sense any dishonesty. "Will you tell me the baby's gender?"

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"Yes."

"It's a girl."

"Is she healthy?" Mara asked. She started eating the rest of her fruit salad.

"She's fine," Luke said. He had been thinking while his wife was in the refresher, and had decided that tonight, he was going to tell her the truth about his parents. He knew that he should really tell his sister first - Leia needed to know that Vader was their father - but Mara was less likely to panic. She wouldn't say anything to Leia, Han, Lando, or Chewbacca, and she did not know any of the other Rebels.

* * *

After eating breakfast, they stayed inside the hotel room for a few hours, mostly watching holomovies or sitting out on the balcony. Luke sensed that Mara was still upset about something, but he did not ask. She was going to be scared enough later, when he told her that Darth Vader was her father-in-law. 

"So, the baby's name is Star," Mara said as she sat down on the couch again. She stretched out and rested her head on Luke's lap.

"Yes." He took a pillow and slid it underneath her head. "Do you want to go down to the beach?"

"Later. I don't feel like being out in the heat right now."

"Alright."

A few minutes later, Luke's comlink, sitting on the table beside the couch, began beeping. It was either Han, Leia, or Lando - none of the other Rebels had his comlink number. He picked it up and turned it on.

"Yes?" he asked, feeling slightly annoyed. He knew that he was one of the Rebellion's leaders and that he had to go when they needed him, but he and Mara had just gotten here yesterday. He had hoped tostay for at leastanother whole day.

"Luke," said Vader. His voice sounded the same way it had when he mentally connected with his son last night. He was not wearing his mask at the moment.

"Hold on." Luke stood up and went to the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Then he went inside the refresher and locked the door. "Alright, what do you want?"

* * *

"Where are you?" Vader asked. He was standing in the living room. Amidala was in the kitchen. 

"You know that I'm not going to tell you," Luke said. "How did you get my comlink number?"

"One of my spies."

"How long ago?"

"A week or so."

"Well, don't bother trying to trace this signal. I'm going to another planet as soon as I turn my comlink off. Is your spy watching the Rebels?"

"No," Vader replied. "You do not need to be concerned about her."

Luke kept in mind that he couldn't sense lies through a comlink conversation. "Maybe I've seen her. What does she look like?"

"What is your wife's name?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Mara Jade."

Luke was quiet for a moment. "I suppose your spy learned that, too."

"Mara is my spy. Ask her if you do not believe me," Vader said.

He turned his comlink off and went into the kitchen. Amidala was sitting at the table with a cup of hot soup. She had a cold, which she had most likely caught one on of their transport rides - probably the less luxurious one that they had taken to Yavin Six, when they were going to look at ships.

"What do you think he'll do?" she asked. The kitchen was connected to the living room, so she had heard her husband talking.

"He will not harm her."

"He'll probably get a new comlink, since we know the number of that one," Amidala said. She sniffled. "I'm going to go lay down. Wake me up if he calls you back."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Luke, still standing inside the bedroom's refresher, believed what his father had said, even though they had been talking over a comlink and he wouldn't have been able to sense if it was a lie. If Vader were making it up, he would not have suggested that Luke ask Mara.

He thought about the question that his wife asked him yesterday.

_"What would you do with someone you captured, like an Imperial spy?"_

_"A Jedi does not kill a defenseless, unarmed prisoner, unless there is a good reason."_

_"Like what?"_

_"If I felt that they were too much of a threat, then I might have to kill them, even if they were defenseless at the moment. If I didn't, they could cause more trouble later. It would be best for everyone's safety."_

After he said that, he sensed that she was uneasy. And Vader had told him, just now, that Mara was the spy who had gotten his comlink number. Luke hated to admit it, but he could not think of any time, in the last week or two,when anybody other than his wife had been alone around his comlink. He sighed.

* * *

When he unlocked the refresher's door and opened it, Mara was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking through their suitcase.

"Who was that?" she asked.

Luke stared at her. He remembered that she said, the other day, that what had happened to her was not her choice. No wonder she had been so afraid - she was probably worried that he would kill her. Still, he was a little angry. She knew that she could have told him, especially when they were alone, at home, nowhere near Darth Vader. Not only that, but she probably had a lot of information that could be useful to the Rebels, yet she had said nothing.

She looked at him. "Luke? Who called?"

"Vader," he said.

"What? Are you joking?"

"No."

"Why? What did he want?"

Luke decided to get right to the point. "Are you his spy?"

Mara said nothing. She stood up and tried to leave, but her husband pointed at her and she stopped, unable to move. Tears started coming from her eyes. She remembered what he had said yesterday, about how he might have to kill a defenseless person if he thought they were too much of a threat and could cause trouble later.

After a second, he released her, but wrapped her arms around her so that she couldn't go anywhere. For the first time, she did not feel safe around him. She thought about the night when he proposed to her, which made her cry more.

"Yes," she said softly. "I love you."

"I know that you do."

"What are you going to do me?"

"I don't know," Luke replied. He let go of her.

She wiped her face. "My master has never asked me to spy on you, except when he told me to find out what your comlink number was."

"That was the only time?"

"Yes," said Mara. "It was completely coincedence that I was on Naboo that day, when we met. I really was having trouble with my speeder."

"I know. It was about to break down," her husband said.

She smiled, until she realized that he was not really in a better mood. "If you're going to kill me, please don't do it until after the baby..."

"I am not going to kill you."

"Do you want a divorce?"

"No," Luke said.

He slid his arms around her again. This time, he was really hugging her, not just trying to keep her from leaving. She pressed her cheek against his chest, now thinking of the first time they had come to this hotel, for their honeymoon.

"I love you," she said again.

"I love you, too, but I have to ask you a few questions," Luke told her. He decided that once he was done with that, he would tell her the truth about his parents. It was not fair for him to be angry at her when _he_ was still hiding something.

"I understand."

* * *

They went into the kitchen area. Mara was hungry. She opened the fridge and took out the rest of the fruit salad she had gotten earlier, for breakfast. She was actually craving meat, but she did not want to order room service until after she and Luke finished talking. She went over to the table and sat down. Luke got a water bottle from the fridge and drank almost half of it at once.

"You said that what happened to you wasn't your choice," he said. "Is this what you meant?"

"Yes." Mara poked at a piece of red fruit with her fork. "I've been doing this for four years."

"Do you like it?"

"Yes," she said. "I...sometimes I want to stay on your side and join the Rebels, but I also want to stay with my master. I wonder if he's going to make me his apprentice one day."

"Do you want to be a Sith?"

"I don't know. I can't say that I don't."

Luke seemed to be deep in thought about something for a moment. Then he moved on to his next question.

"How did Vader find you?"

Mara hesitated. "My other uncle - not the one who gave us the house - is the captain of one of the Star Destroyers."

"Which one?"

"The Devastator."

Luke put the water bottle back inside the fridge. "Why would he talk to Vader about you?"

"I don't think he did. I think that's just how my master found out about me," said Mara. She sighed. "This morning, I was upset because when you told me that you sensed I was pregnant, I realized that he knows..."

"He knows that you're my wife, too."

"He's going to kill me."

"No, he isn't," Luke said. "Let's go home. We'll decide what to do on the way there."

"Okay."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Mara's ship had just left Yavin Eight when her comlink beeped. She had a feeling that it was Darth Vader. She hesitated, looking at Luke.

"Answer it," he said.

She turned it on. "Hello?"

"How is your vacation going?" Leia asked.

Mara sighed with relief. "We're on our way home, Leia. Is everything alright?"

"Han asked me to marry him last night."

"That's wonderful."

"We're going to have a small wedding, like you and Luke did," Leia said. "But we'll discuss that later. Why are you coming home so soon?"

"We want to get started on the baby's room," Mara lied. "Do you want to talk to Luke?"

"No. Just call me later when you're home."

"Alright." Mara turned her comlink off. "Han asked her to marry him."

"Good," Luke replied. He paused. "I don't want to tell them about your...job yet."

"I doubt that they'll still talk to me when you do tell them."

"We could avoid that if you would join the Rebellion," Luke said. He was still a little mad. His wife could easily come to their side and have less worries, but she hesitated because she was actually loyal to Vader. Luke wondered if she would even consider leaving her master, or if he was just wasting his time with someone that he might have to kill one day. He hated to think that, but it might be true.

"Can we please talk without fighting?" Mara reached over and touched his arm. "I love you."

He did not say anything at first. He suddenly realized something.

"You should be my apprentice," he told her.

"Me?"

"You would be perfect, Mara. You have great Force potential."

"I thought you wanted to train Leia," she said.

"I do, but there are several things she wants to do first," Luke replied. "And if you are my apprentice, I will be with you and the baby all the time."

His offer definately sounded wonderful to Mara.

He looked at her for a moment, but did not pressure her for an answer. After looking at the dashboard to make sure everything was alright, he stood up and went to the kitchen area.

* * *

It did not take long to get home, since they just had to go over to Yavin Five. When the ship landed in the open area behind their house, just in front of where the forest started, they stood outside and continued talking. 

They decided what to do for now. Luke wanted to stay home for at least a couple of weeks, so that he could constantly watch Mara. He wanted to go with her the next time she met with her master, so that he could defend her if he needed to. She did not like that idea, but he assured her that Vader would probably want to see him anyway.

That made her think of his battle with Vader at Cloud City. He had said that her master wanted him to join the Empire. Mara would not be disappointed if her husband did decide to turn. She still liked the possibility of being able to stay with him and serve Vader. And if Luke became a Sith Lord, he could train Mara.

She definately was not going to mention that idea, though. She knew how selfish she was.

"Let's go out tonight," she suggested as they started walking to the house's back porch. "I don't feel like cooking anything."

"I will," Luke said. "I want you to relax. You've had a long day."

"Thank you." Mara took his hand. She looked over at the backyard of the house on the left of them, which was for sale. "I wonder if anyone looked at that place while we were gone."

"Maybe," Luke replied distantly. He was going to tell her about his parents tonight. She had already had enough stress today, but he couldn't keep putting it off.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Luke called Leia's comlink and talked to her for a few minutes. Then he and Mara Jade sat down to eat the shrimp and sauce-covered pasta he had made.

Leia had said that she and Han wanted to have the wedding within two weeks, before the attack on the new Death Star, which was now supposed to be in a month. Luke said that that sounded good, but now that he thought about it, he realized that the wedding might not even happen after Han learned that his fiancée was Darth Vader's daughter. Luke did not really think he would leave Leia, but it would be understandable if he was a little scared.

But first, Luke had to tell Leia herself about their parents, and tell Mara tonight.

His plan was that after dinner, they would go to the living room and watch a movie or a couple of shows. Then he would ask Mara if she felt like going for a walk. If she said no, he would just tell her later, while they were getting ready to go to bed.

"This is good," she said, twirling her fork around in the pasta.

"Thank you," Luke replied, trying to think of how he was going to tell her.

She was quiet for a moment, then said, "I want to apologize again..."

"We'll talk about everything tomorrow."

"Okay." Mara wished she hadn't said anything. She could tell that her husband was not in a great mood. She did not expect him to be, after he had learned that she _liked_ being Vader's spy and was interested in possibly becoming his apprentice.

Luke almost asked if she had considered his offer for her to be his apprentice, but he decided not to pressure her right now. He had not thought about what he would do if she said no.

Inside the living room, one of their comlinks beeped. It was Luke's. Mara's was upstairs, in their bedroom.

"Do you want me to get that?" Mara asked.

"I'll call them back later."

"What if it's Leia or Han...or my master?"

"Then he can try again later," Luke replied, with annoyance in his voice.

Mara knew he was hinting at her giving Vader his comlink number. She had no choice - she had to do what her master told her - but she did not say that. She did not want to start fighting.

The comlink stopped beeping.

She sighed. "I think I'll go to bed."

"Wait," Luke said softly. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go for a walk."

"Okay."

* * *

Mara went upstairs and put on a white sweater, since it was probably getting cool outside - autumn was starting here.

Before she and Luke went outside, he took her into his arms and held her for a minute. She wanted to cry, for a few reasons - her selfishness, sneaking around and keeping secrets from her husband since the day they met, and knowing how much trouble she had caused him. And, he was right - she could have avoided this if she had told him everything months ago.

"I love you," she murmured. Her eyes were wet.

"I love you, too," Luke said. "Come on."

He let go of her. He didn't want her to get too upset before she even heard about his parents.

She wiped her eyes, then took his hand.

* * *

For the first few minutes, as they walked toward their ship's landing pad, they mostly talked about the baby and how they wanted to decorate her room. Even though they had decided on the name Star for a girl, neither of them werecalling her thatyet.

Mara was also thinking more about Luke's offer to be her master. She was sure that if she chose to follow Darth Vader, her husband would either get a divorce - even though he had said earlier that he didn't want one - or lock her in a prison cell to keep her from going anywhere. And he would take the baby when she was born, which would be best.

The other reason was that, even if Vader had not revealed that Mara was his spy, Mara knew that Luke would be busy with an apprentice _and_ helping the Rebels. She did not want him to be away two or more days a week.

She looked at his black jacket. "Did you bring your comlink?"

"No," he said.

"What if it was my master who called, and he's trying to reach you again?"

Luke stopped walking. Now that she had mentioned Vader, he needed to go ahead and tell her.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about him," he said.

"What is it?" Mara asked.

_I hope he isn't going to kill me now_, she thought. She looked over at the ship, which they were now a few feet away from, and at the forest that started just past it. Of course, running off was pointless - he could use a Force trick to hold her still. She remembered when he had playfully done that during their honeymoon, while they were walking on the beach.

"Calm down." He sensed her nervousness, and slid his arms around her. "It's not about you."

She did not relax. "Is everything okay?"

"Do you remember that I went to Obi-wan's house on Tattooine, and I found his diary, where he mentioned me and Leia and our parents?"

"Yes?"

"I lied. Yoda told me about Leia, when I visited him on Dagobah, right before he died," Luke said.

Of course, he was lying again - it was actually Obi-wan who had told him, but he still did not want to say that he had talked to his friend's ghost.

"Oh," Mara replied. "Why didn't you just tell me that?"

Luke pulled her a little closer, so that she had to rest her head against his chest.

"Mara, your master is my father."

Surprisingly, she was quiet at first.

"Did Yoda tell you that?" she asked. "He was probably just testing you or something."

"No," Luke answered. "Vader told me himself, when we were fighting on Cloud City. That's why he wants me to join the Empire. He wants us to rule as father and son."

"So you've known all along?"

Luke let go of her. "Hey, remember that you didn't tell me about your _job_ right away? I had to find that out from Vader, too. He's been more honest than anyone else."

"I..." Mara started, not knowing what to say. Her eyes were wet again. She turned and started walking back to the house.

She didn't go more than a few steps when she suddenly froze. Luke came over to her and hugged her again, then released her from the Force hold.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you, too." She sniffled. "Can we go back inside?"

"Yes. Come on."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Once they were inside the house, they sat down on the couch in the living room. Luke told Mara the whole story about meeting "Ana", the woman he had helped the other day, and who she really was - his mother.

"Only me and the Emperor, and a few others, know that she is my master's wife," Mara said. "Everyone else thinks that she's one of his spies, like me."

"Why?" Luke asked.

"He wants to protect her, I guess. Do the Rebels know that he has a wife?"

"No. Not that I know of."

"Do you...mentally talk to him often?" Mara asked.

"I've responded to him the past couple of times," Luke answered. "I ignored him before."

Mara was glad to hear that. If he and Darth Vader were becoming a little more friendly, perhaps he might consider turning to the Empire. Maybe it was still a little selfish of her to hope for that, just so that she could stay with him and continue serving her master...but he had to consider _all_ of the options before he made a decision, didn't he?

"I'm going to get some water," she said. "Do you want anything?"

"No," Luke replied.

He watched her as she got up, thinking of the day they met. On the transport that was going to Naboo, they sat down at one of the tables in the dining area, and she thanked him again for getting another ticket and coming with her. He said that he was happy to help her, and touched her hand. That did not seem to bother her, but he did not try to kiss her yet.

When she came back to the living room, she told him, "I had an idea. I doubt that you'll like it."

"What is it?"

Mara sat beside him again. "We could invite your parents to come here, and then you and my master could talk without fighting..."

"No. I am not letting him see where our house is, and don't try to bring him over here as a surprise."

"I wouldn't try that."

"I know what you're doing," said Luke. "You want me to think about joining the Empire."

"I didn't say that," Mara replied.

"But you would like that, wouldn't you?"

"I just...think it's unfair for you to automatically choose the Rebellion without even thinking about my master's offer."

"Unfair? Have _you_ even thought about _my_ offer?" Luke asked.

"Yes," his wife answered.

He sensed that she was being honest. He sighed and picked up the viewing screen's remote control, and flipped through a few channels. She moved closer to him and snuggled under his arm.

A few minutes later, he said, "I do want to talk to my father, but I do not want him to see where our house is yet."

_Yet_, Mara thought. That was good. "We could meet on another planet. What about Naboo?"

"Alright."

----------

Sorry for the short chapter, I just wanted to update. The next one will be longer.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Vader was already awake when his comlink beeped the next morning. He had not slept well last night without Amidala beside him. She had wanted to stay on the couch in the living room, so that he wouldn't catch her cold.

He sat up and picked up his comlink from the table beside the bed.

"Master," Mara said softly.

"What is it?"

"Luke wants to see you."

"Is he there?" Vader asked.

"Yes, Master."

After a second, Luke said, "Father. Are you near the Yavin system right now?"

Vader did not answer yet. "Why do you want to see me?"

"I have to talk to you," his son answered, "without fighting. Our house is on Yavin Five. Can you and Ana - I mean, Mother - be there tomorrow morning?"

"If only you and Mara - no one else - will be there."

"Just us. Han and Leia don't know about any of this yet."

"We will meet you in the nearest city," Vader said. "Once we confirm that you and Mara have no one with you, we will go to your house."

-----

"Alright," Luke agreed. He turned the comlink off and gave it back to his wife.

"You said we were going to meet on Naboo," she said. "I thought you didn't want him to see where our house is."

They were standing in the backyard. It was cool today, so Mara had made hot cocoa to take on their walk. Almost half of the trees on and around their property had red, gold, and orange leaves now.

"We'll have more privacy at our house," Luke replied.

"What if...things don't go well?"

"We will leave and come back later, and move."

Mara looked at him, a little suspicious, but did not say anything else. She glanced at the house beside theirs, the one that was for sale. She and Luke had never really become friends with the Falleen couple who had lived there, since they were both wildlife researchers and traveled often.

She thought of something. "Why does my master want to meet us in the city? Everyone will see him."

"He probably won't be wearing his armor," said Luke. "No will know who he is."

"Doesn't he have to wear it?"

"I don't think so."

"Do you want to tell Leia and Han?" Mara asked. She took a sip of her hot cocoa.

"No. Not yet," Luke answered.

-----

Amidala was still sleeping when Vader entered the living room. He reached down and touched her forehead with his real hand. She didn't seem to have a fever. She opened her eyes and yawned.

"Good morning," she said.

"We are going to Luke and Mara's house tomorrow," Vader told her.

"Really?"

"Luke wants to talk to me."

Amidala glanced at the table by the other end of the couch. There was a picture of Luke, when he was seventeen, standing next to a young bantha that his friend Biggs owned. One of Vader's spies had taken it. Biggs had been standing on the other side of the bantha, but Amidala cut him out.

"I wonder why he's letting us come to his house," she said.

"So am I," Vader replied. "We are meeting him and Mara in the city, and if they are really alone, we will go to their house. I will not be surprised if they move after this."

Amidala sniffled. "I'm going to take some medicine. I want to feel better tomorrow."

While she went to the refresher in their bedroom, Vader called Luke again to get the coordinates of the city that he and Mara lived near.

------------

Sorry for another short chapter, the next one will be better. Thanks for the reviews. Also, I've been using ----- for seperators because the dividers in the document editor aren't working.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Mara Jade was nervous the next morning as she and Luke sat at a table outside of a café. Darth Vader and Amidala would be here in about an hour. She still did not like the idea of letting her master see where the house was. If things didn't go well today, and she and Luke had to move, her uncle would be upset that they had left the house he had given them as a wedding present, after less than a year. And he wouldn't believe her if she told him why.

Luke felt her worry. He reached across the table and touched her wrist.

"Everything will be fine," he told her.

"I love you," she said. She guessed that he thought he could convince Vader to come to the Rebellion. She didn't think he could, but she was not going to say that. She just gave him a small smile.

"Is anything else bothering you?" he asked.

"I wonder if Han and Leia are still going to talk to us after you tell them everything."

"Don't worry about that. I will handle it."

* * *

Vader and Amidala arrived half-an-hour later. Amidala was carrying a large, light blue shopping bag from a baby store. She gave it to Mara.

"Thank you," Mara said quietly, trying not to look at Vader. She scooted her chair closer to Luke's as her in-laws sat down in the other two chairs.

Amidala sniffled, then said, "Sorry. I have a cold."

"You shouldn't be out here, then. Let's go to our house," Luke replied. He looked at his father and added, "No one is there."

Vader sensed that he was being honest.

They took Luke and Mara's speeder, since Vader and Amidala had walked from the place where they had left their ship. Vader and Luke talked on the way to the house, about their speeders and ships. Mara was pleased that they were being friendly to each other.

* * *

When they arrived at the house, Vader and Luke went upstairs to talk. That made Mara a little nervous. Perhaps they wanted to be alone so that they wouldn't be distracted if they started fighting.

Amidala was thinking the same thing.

"I don't think they would go upstairs if they thought they might fight," she said, trying to assure herself as well as her daughter-in-law. "They would probably go outside."

"That's true," Mara replied, feeling slightly better. "Would you like me to make some soup, or hot tea? It might help your cold."

"Soup would be nice."

While she was waiting for the water to heat on the stove, Mara looked inside the shopping bag that Amidala had given her. Inside were a few baby outfits, a pink blanket, and a couple of stuffed animals. Mara decided to use everything even if Luke and Vader's talk didn't go well. She wanted her daughter to have something from Amidala.

"Thank you," she said.

"You're welcome," Amidala told her. She hesitated. "Is there anything you want to ask me, Mara?"

"Why?"

"I was just wondering. We don't have to sit here and make small talk and pretend to be nice to each other."

"I'm not pretending," said Mara. "I've never disliked you, or my master."

"Really? You don't hate him for making you work for him?" Amidala asked.

"No. I'm scared of him, but I feel honored to be one of his spies."

"What does Luke think about that?"

Mara sighed. "We haven't decided what we're going to do yet. He said that he isn't going to divorce me."

"You can't continue serving Vader and stay with a Jedi," said Amidala.

"I know," Mara replied. She almost mentioned Luke's offer for her to be his apprentice, but changed her mind. Amidala would tell Vader, and he wouldn't be happy if Mara had even been considering it.

Once the soup was ready, they sat down and talked about other things, like the baby and the Lake Country on Naboo. Amidala sat on the opposite side of the table so that Mara wouldn't catch her cold.

Mara liked Amidala. She had never become friends with her master's wife. Hopefully she would have a chance to.

* * *

Afterward, they went out to the backyard. The fresh air was helping Amidala feel better. They talked about the weather, the flowers and trees, and the city for a few minutes, but both of them were worrying about how Vader and Luke were getting along.

"What would you think if Luke joined you?" Mara whispered, even though they were alone in the yard.

"I would love to have him and Leia with us," Amidala said, "and then you could continue serving Vader."

"That's what I was thinking."

"What will happen if you decide to stay with Vader?"

"I don't know," Mara answered. "Luke said that he won't divorce me, like I told you, but he might change his mind if he thought that it was best for our baby's safety. He might hold me prisoner until she is born, and then take her. I wouldn't blame him."

They were both quiet for a minute, until Mara asked Amidala if she wanted to go back inside.

They sat down in the living room and watched a holomovie that was coming on. Almost an hour later, Vader and Luke finally came downstairs. Vader told Amidala that he wanted to talk to her, so Luke and Mara went outside.

* * *

"How did it go?" Mara asked, hugging her husband.

"I convinced him to join us."

"What?"

"He is Anakin Skywalker again."

Mara hadn't expected Luke to be able to do that, and now she felt a little guilty that she hadn't had more confidence in him. She hugged him again.

"That's wonderful," she said. She paused. "I want to be your apprentice."

* * *

That night, Anakin and Padmé went out to dinner. They wanted to celebrate the twenty-seventh anniversary of their first wedding, since they had ignored it the other day. The next day, they bought the house next to Luke and Mara's.

- The End -

Thanks for all of the reviews. I know this story was kind of short, but I didn't want to leave it unfinished.


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